Margot Robbie and the agonizing attack by a huge python on her mother: “They do strangle you. A lesson learned”

Graham Norton has built his reputation on getting stars to drop their guard. While American late-night hosts such as Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert fill their sofas with rehearsed anecdotes, Britain’s long-running BBC chat show host has a way of coaxing out the kind of odd, unvarnished tales that keep audiences coming back.

Margot Robbie offered one of the more memorable examples when she appeared on the show and revisited a childhood moment that still makes her wince. As a teenager growing up in rural Australia, she admitted she was “such a brat” and often ignored her mother while glued to MSN, way more important to a young mind.

Python wraps around Robbie’s mother’s neck

One day, though, her mother’s pleas for help turned out to be serious. When Robbie finally went to check, she found her halfway down the stairs with a python coiled up her arm and beginning to wind its way around her neck. In true Norton fashion, the studio dissolved into horrified laughter as Robbie described the scene. You can relive it here from around minute 20.

Robbie’s snake-handling tips

Her fellow guests were alarmed at the idea of visiting her homeland, but Robbie tried to reassure them – not altogether convincingly – by pointing out that the snake “wasn’t poisonous … but they can strangle you.” She went on to explain the technique for prising a python loose: give it something else to climb on and coax it away, or, if you must, grab it behind the jaw – just don’t let it bite. Thanks Margot!

You’ll be pleased to know that her mother escaped the incident unscathed, though Robbie confessed she still feels guilty for not coming sooner. “A lesson learned,” she sighed – and another bizarre gem for Norton’s collection of unforgettable sofa stories.

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